Chasing Waterfalls
by Caramel-Truffles
Summary: She had finally found out that she had been living a lie- a lie she can now barely remember. When tearing away everything she loves is taken a step further, Dalia vows to dedicate every crack in her heart to vengeance. /Sort of a songfic but not really, it's just song names in notes of, like, two chapters. "Waterfalls" by TLC specifically for the title because Gigi reference./
1. Chapter 1

**Some notes because my anxiety won't let me just write, apologies:**

_-OOC warning and just a fair warning, shippers of Genie/Dalia should know that it's not a ship at any point here, please don't yell at me.-  
-Second, yes, this is** villain** Dalia. I don't have anything against Genie/Dalia, nor anyone who's happy with the direction they took her character in canon at all, but I do have some issues with where they ended up taking her character and with the way they handled this romance plot, and plus, Nasim's played a serial killer on a Ryan Murphy show before, it's not much of a stretch, especially considering Dalia is so similar to Gigi prior her villain reveal in Pumpkin Patch and Gigi is the backbone to almost every single death in the show. Again, please don't yell at me, I just like the idea.  
Trust me if anyone except Nasim was playing Dalia, this idea wouldn't exist.-  
-As for Eden, it's easiest for me to imagine Jada Pinkett Smith playing her role. Considering she's not only Will Smith's wife, but she was the first death in Scream 2.-  
-Sorry for the unnecessarily long notes.-  
__-Song(s) remains the same until another is named at the start of a chapter.__-_

**_"You Make Me Feel" - Archive._**

**_"You Are My Sunshine" - The Phantoms._**

* * *

_'You may have friendships with members of another kingdom, though you may never fall for one._

_For one day, you may meet them in conflict.'_

* * *

The law of the kingdoms was simple. A set of rules followed by each kingdom. Rules that- if broken- can call for severe punishment. All people of the kingdoms knew them, all people learned them as children and are taught to abide by them no matter the outcome.

Eden knew she had broken one of the most strictly applied rules when she'd begun meeting with him. The man who was once a genie, just like her and her father. She knew exactly what would happen when she'd found out she was expecting children. They would be half kingdom. Half Agrabah, and half Orieon.  
They wouldn't be welcome in her kingdom if anyone found out who their true father was. There was only one request she could make from him.

She hadn't known the other girl he spoke of when they'd meet, she only assumed she was someone from Agrabah. Eden didn't know he had kept his meetings with her from the other girl.  
When she'd met Dalia she felt slight anger tear at her heart, giving herself a mental backhand for thinking she was only a friend of his. Though it seemed when they had finally met, Dalia had been told about his secrets and the spell he had used on her the days leading up to Jafar's attack on Agrabah.

Eden understood why she wasn't happy about the information. He had lied to her. She truly hadn't expected for Dalia to accept to raise Lian and Omar herself, to take them to Agrabah, act as their mother, and never tell them they were half-blooded. She hadn't imagined saying her farewell to him would be so difficult.  
Both of them knew they had done wrong; Sunil by how he had treated Dalia and her for falling in love with a member of another kingdom.

The chance to ask the question was right in front of her. Jasmine was not the same as other rulers. Agrabah would be good for her.

"Sunil!" Eden's voice rasped. She was truly worried now. He turned back to look at her as the few guards that accompanied them tended to settling the two children.  
Dalia was watching them with little emotion on her face. Eden knew that he had hurt her.  
She drifted her eyes back to him, swallowing the air trapped in her throat. "Can I go with you?"

His eyes widened and he turned the rest of the way to her, his hands quickly interlocking hers. "What about your father?"

_Father. _The word echoed around Dalia's head. _He met her family._ That hurt.  
She had never seen Sunil act such ways, he had barely taken the time to get to know Jasmine before he had dragged her out.  
He hadn't made the effort to build up a friendship with the only person she had left and yet he had taken the time to meet Eden's parents. _And because he had used his magic I had never noticed._ The thoughts felt like shards of glass piercing her skin. He really had used her.

"My father would find out what I've done one way or another. I have nothing here for me, I want to stay with you." Eden had tears brimming her eyes, the dark brown color swimming from the glare of the moonlight, her black hair was plastering to the side of her head despite the cool breeze that whirled around them. Her knuckles were lightening the longer their hands stayed together.  
Sunil was silent for a few seconds before he took a sharp intake of breath, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Eden assumed this meant he had accepted, a feeling of relief flooding through her as he pulled away, taking her hand again to lead her onto the deck.  
The guards gave small glances to both of them before their glares traveled to Dalia, quiet mutters of sympathy and discussion jumping between the group before they spread to where she guessed were their usual posts.

It wasn't the fanciest boat she had been on, she and her father had had numerous masters that had boats larger than the gates of a kingdom. Although she knew it would do well, it was larger than it seemed.  
Sunil let go of her hand, stepping away to talk with one of the guards.  
Eden took the moment to wander, stepping through the small doorway. She tried to be as quiet as possible, she knew that her children had been settled below deck.

Soft steps behind her caused her to turn, her vision meeting Dalia's dark eyes. Eden couldn't help but lift her head, straightening her dress to distract her thoughts from drifting. Dalia stepped further inside, the door swinging shut behind her. The room was much darker now.

Dalia cocked her head, though her expression remained unreadable. "You owe me, Eden."  
Eden was taken aback by Dalia's voice, it wasn't what she expected from a princesses handmaid.  
From what she had heard, Dalia was sweet and carefree. This must-have stemmed from Sunil's spell- how heavy the chained up emotions were in her voice, how distrustful her eyes were.  
Eden swallowed again, she felt jealousy twisting in her gut before she reminded herself what she meant. "Excuse me?" Was all she managed to say without sounding spiteful.

The deep determination in Dalia's voice was enough to make her step backward. "You asked us to take these children, you gave them up, Eden, just because you're coming back to Agrabah with us does not mean you'll be raising them on our way. They're already old enough to go on without your help. Sunil told me what you were planning to do before I agreed to take them." She paused.  
Eden swore there was a flash of anger in Dalia's eyes as she mentioned Sunil's name before her voice lifted again. "I can't have my own children, Eden. Lian and Omar will not be finding out who their real mother is. Do you understand me?"

Eden felt a rush of relief from her head to her toes.  
Dalia can't have children_._  
She assumed it was another reason finding out that Sunil had used magic to make her leave had made such an effect. He had made her say she wanted something that she could never have. "Exactly what I was planning to tell you." The words left her mouth before she had a chance to add.

If truth be told, Eden had only asked to leave with them because she wanted to stay with Sunil. She'd never wanted to have children, she hadn't even been thinking about the children during that moment. She had almost forgotten she had broken part of the code. She had almost forgotten those two children were even there.

Dalia turned, swiftly slipping back out onto the deck once Sunil had stepped inside.  
She wondered how long Dalia had been avoiding him, she hadn't even heard them acknowledge each other. His voice erased any of her worries as he stepped over to her side, taking her hands once again. Eden leaned up to place a light kiss on his cheek. "Are we leaving?"  
A laugh that was all too familiar to her now brought a smile to her face, his grip on her hands tightening. "We're going home."

* * *

Dalia reprimanded herself for feeling pride as the two children got older and began to wander the boat. Struggled and failed to stop her heart from lifting when Omar started taking interest in what the guards do back in Agrabah and when Lian proved to be a natural at memorizing and reading the maps the guards gave her brother to stop him pestering them for a few hours.

It had taken a long time for her to allow herself to believe she was their mother, but when she did there was no way she could ever describe how much she cared for them. She'd spoken to Sunil only once aside from when Eden started arguments and got him involved.  
When he tried to ask them if they'd enjoy spending some time with their father. She had pulled him away from them and reminded him that Lian and Omar had no idea he was their father, and when they did find out, they'd been told the full story- aside from Eden being their birth mother- and by the end of the story, they'd shown to hold the same bitterness toward him that she did.

She was their mother, she had raised them whilst he had been barely involved. They'd had every right to be angry with him.

It was late at night when she pushed the door open and stepped inside, the sharp mix of dark blues and blacks in the sky fitting for the tight feeling in her chest after a particularly heavy argument with Eden. Lian and Omar were sitting across from each other on the foot of Sunil and Eden's bed. When they saw who had entered, they came close to tripping each other over, rushing up to her as quickly as they could, Omar gripping her left hand tightly and Lian taking her other.

"Are you alright, mama?" Lian was the first one to speak, her question cautious.  
Dalia felt her heart stutter, and she leaned down to their level to give her daughter's hand a squeeze, "Perfect, why's that?"  
Omar looked to his sister once and then back to her. "We could hear you yelling. You sounded upset."  
Lian nodded. "We were worried about you."

Dalia smiled tentatively, she had hoped they hadn't heard any of it but she knew that she probably should've known that the thin wooden walls wouldn't block out sound as well as she'd have hoped. She gave her son a nod and shot both of them a warm smile. "Just some drama with Eden, nothing for you two to worry about."  
Both of them seemed satisfied with her answer. It was barely a minute before they were talking over each other, Lian about wanting to get a new map from the guards and Omar about wanting to go outside now and question the guards on what they did during the night.

She cut both of them off when she stood up and shook her head. "It's late, you two need to get to bed," She paused to let both of them show their disappointment, holding back an amused smile at both of their reactions. She looked to Omar first. "I'm sure if you get to sleep now, you'll be able to stay up late asking the guards questions tomorrow," His disappointment vanished and he gave her a single nod, turning around to make his way below deck.

Turning to Lian, she leaned down to her level again. "And I'm sure if you do the same you'll get a new map tomorrow." Her excited smile beamed and she rushed the same way Omar had. It only took a minute for Dalia to follow behind her.

Omar was already tucked under the covers of his bed, waiting for her goodnight. Dalia took her place next to his bed and he smiled at her. "Are you sure I'll be able to ask the guards tomorrow?"  
She nodded. "Promise."  
He returned her nod, muttering his goodnight before shifting onto his side.

"Can you promise me, too?"  
Dalia turned at Lian's voice and moved over to her, taking a seat on the foot of the bed. "Of course I do, I'll make sure you get a new one." There was a long pause in the silence, before Lian sat up to speak, her voice lowering to just above a whisper. "Are you going to argue with Eden again?"

Dalia waited a short moment and then shook her head, her own voice lowering. "No. No, I'm not, I'll be down in a bit, don't worry."  
Lian looked at her for a moment, before she settled back into her bed. Dalia leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her head before standing, careful to avoid a few creaking boards as she left.

* * *

"Omar! Be careful!" Dalia's concern laced her words like thorns to a rose, watching him get closer and closer to the edge of the boat the more he tried to beat their youngest guard.  
Lian sat beside her, watching her brother roughhouse. She couldn't understand the appeal.  
Dalia looked down at her and rested a hand on her shoulder, her expression softening. "Don't you want to play with your brother?"  
Lian shook her head, humming her answer before shifting closer to her mother's side. "I promise I won't ever want to leave you! I want to stay with you forever!" The bounce to her voice caused Dalia to chuckle. Lian and Jasmine would surely get along well. Her heart jumped twice at the thought of her princess and a third at the thought of her meeting Lian and Omar.  
The trip home was taking more years than they had expected, despite not having any fond feelings toward two people in their company, the time had only given her more time with her children. She couldn't ask for anything more.

Eden watched from the higher deck.  
She had truly abandoned the fact Lian and Omar were her children now, she enjoyed watching them, though she enjoyed having no responsibility for them even more. It gave her more time with Sunil.  
A squeal left her lips as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her back and spinning her around before his grip moved to her wrists. "My lady." Sunil gave a playful bow. "Would my princess care for the water?"

One of her eyebrows raised, her hair falling over her shoulder as her head lifted. "I'll have you know, I am quite the swimmer. I could swim easily in the stormiest of waters." She smiled.  
He straightened, rolling his eyes. "What a shame, I would have played the part of the miraculous hero." Eden shook her head, turning her gaze to the water behind them. His own followed.

Sunil spoke over her shoulder, gesturing lightly to the clouds in the sky. "I was thinking about asking Dalia if I could start spending some time with them."

Eden had to stop herself from gasping out loud in anger. She had been the one to recommend Dalia should take the two and she had assumed it had meant he would never want anything to do with them.  
She turned her own gaze to the clouds for a moment, assuming he was guessing it was going to storm. She knew now what he meant, he would ask when Dalia rushed them inside if the weather did turn.  
By many means, Dalia was overprotective, Lian and Omar had never been outside in a storm despite their life on the boat.  
Her teeth gritted, she would not let this happen. The deal had been made, they were not his concern in any way.

Knocking her out of her spiteful trance, Sunil grabbed her hands from behind her. "We'll be arriving at Agrabah very soon."  
Eden felt a burst of excitement at his words, quickly replaced partly with a strange shyness. "Will Jasmine like me?"  
She had mumbled, though Sunil clearly heard, and he sighed in response, his expression hardening slightly. "Everyone likes you! Eden, you're perfect, and if Jasmine can't see that then she's a crazy person. Anyway, it's Aladdin that I'm wanting you to meet."

Aladdin, the boy he had told her about many times before, the one who had freed him and the one who had played the biggest part in defeating Jafar. Maybe Sunil was right, Jasmine may have been the sultana but that didn't mean that Aladdin, as the vizier, had no authority. If he accepted her then Jasmine would have to, surely.  
Eden turned back to her original position, looking out at the seemingly endless water. Though she could faintly see the silhouette of land and buildings, getting clearer by the second. He had been right, the weather was turning on them, she could tell by the dark grey clouds that were quickly spreading overhead. She only hoped they'd arrive before the storms started.

* * *

Eden's head lowered into a curtsy.  
Jasmine had clear distaste written on her face at the sight of her and Sunil. Aladdin turned his attention to his friend whilst Jasmine branched away to Dalia.  
The clouds were just starting to drip and she wasn't interested in talking to the person who had lied to her handmaiden. Jasmine wasted no time sitting down beside her, Hakim having taken Lian and Omar quickly to the palace, she kept her voice down. "Are they?.." she trailed off, Dalia's silent nod was enough of an answer.

Jasmine noticed almost immediately how much work raising two children alone must've been, there was a look in Dalia's eyes that told her she hadn't slept in days. She'd seen it plenty of times before, but the knowledge that Dalia hadn't had anyone keeping an eye on her whilst she kept her eyes on her children made a knot of anger twist around her heart.

She sighed. "I can see that you care about them, Dalia. They're both a lot like you." Her voice was soft. She didn't pay attention to Aladdin and Sunil or the stranger beside him.  
Dalia turned to her, taking a glance at the group before focusing on Jasmine again. "I wouldn't trade them for the world. I don't appreciate what he did to me. I wouldn't have left you at all if he hadn't had used his magic." The words were pure truth, had Dalia had the chance she would've never left Jasmine's side, she'd hated boats and traveling since she was a child.  
She swallowed before continuing, her hands fiddling with the bracelet she was wearing on her left wrist. "But I'm grateful that she didn't want her kingdom to know. I would've never been able to raise children if Eden hadn't come along. She owes me for taking them, but if I had the chance I would do it all again."

"I'm sorry I never stopped him," She hesitated. "I shouldn't have believed it in the first place."

Dalia reached for her hand and leaned closer to her, "Don't be silly. You don't have anything to be sorry for, you were preoccupied with Jafar and Aladdin, Sunil's the one who used his magic. And I would never blame you for anything."

Jasmine noted the bitterness in her friend's voice at the other names. She couldn't blame her.  
They stayed silent for a few moments, Dalia's gaze barely moving before Jasmine nodded, giving a small smile and a light squeeze of her hand that made Dalia's heart skip beats before standing. "It's going to storm. We should get back. Lian and Omar are probably wondering where their mother is!"  
Dalia rolled her eyes and shot her a returning smile, standing to follow the sultana as Aladdin and the other two continued before them.

* * *

Omar jumped forward, narrowly missing Lian's eye before he was pushed away by her hands, knocking her down again almost immediately after, earning a genuine yelp from his sister.  
Dalia's voice caught his attention. "Omar, let your sister up. She's not as hotheaded as you." He groaned his playful annoyance, moving away from her and watching her rush to Dalia's side, sitting down next to her as if her life depended on it.  
Lian looked up, her shoulders hunching in cower and her voice quieter than usual. "I don't want to fight anymore."  
Dalia placed her hand on Lian's shoulder again in an effort to comfort her. "Lian, darling, you know I'll always keep you safe."  
Omar continued his own game, seeming to be fighting with an imaginary swordsman.

The sound of the doors closing and a familiar pattern of footsteps caused Dalia to stand, nudging Lian behind her as Eden glanced at both of them once before focusing on Dalia. "I'm sorry about this, I know the storms started around an hour ago but I need you to grab me something I left on the boat." She looked down at the two children again, Omar had now also moved to his mother's side. "Take these two with you, they'll need to know storms soon."

Dalia shook her head, almost looking astonished by the order. "It's dangerous out there with a storm like this! If you need something, find it yourself."  
She hoped palace life wasn't going to Eden's head already.

Her suspicions seemed to be confirmed when Eden opened her mouth again, her tone was full of spite this time, a cocky glaze on her eyes. "Well, there is a patrol out right now, they'll be around for you! And if you refuse again then I'm sure the dear children would love to hear a secret me and you have been keeping?" The pitch of her voice heightened as her words went on. She was teasing.

A flicker of doubt flashed across Dalia's face, glancing at the doors, to Eden, and then to the corner for a glimpse of her children.  
It took her a moment before she nodded, reluctantly nudging past Eden with Lian and Omar by her side. Guards were on patrol. They'd be perfectly safe outside.  
Allah loved these children, if anything was to happen they would be protected by Allah. Simple.

* * *

The water was far more aggressive than she had anticipated. The beams to the boats were weakened from the waves and the water crashed over them with every movement.  
Dalia had caught a glimpse of the patrol a few moments ago, though the knot in her stomach only tightened. Lian was stuck to her side, gripping her hand. Omar was stuck close by but was far more relaxed, he seemed to be enjoying the cold night air.

She wanted to tell them to wait right where they were so that she could go alone and they would be safe, but a quick glance to the city gates brought her attention to the silhouette of Eden watching from one still slightly opened.  
It was too far a distance to see her face in the darkness, but Dalia could feel Eden's stare burning holes in all three of them. Her heart dropped at the knowledge she had no choice.

Dalia leaned down in front of them, her voice was far more serious than they'd ever heard it before and both of them stood listening to every word she spoke. "Both of you go right in front of me. I need to be able to reach you. No games, no tripping each other. I want you to watch exactly where you step and I want you to go slow. Am I clear?"  
Both of them nodded vigorously. Dalia swallowed, nodding once before standing and allowing Omar to go forward, lifting one foot to the thin wood and then stepping further on. He hadn't realized how deep the water was below him. Lian followed after, much more cautiously, assuring her foot was level with the plank before lifting her other, following her brother step by step.

There was a louder roar from somewhere beside them. "Walk faster!"  
One of them had screamed. She guessed it was Lian but her ears were ringing too much at the sound of the water for her to hear who had spoken.  
Dalia wanted to push them forward but it was far too much of a risk. She only managed to cry to them before the water darkened her vision.  
If she didn't know there were harder things in the water, she'd have sworn she felt someone's hand push her further out. Dalia was thrown under the waves by the force of the flood, she opened her eyes but all she saw was darkness and faint outlines of whatever the water was carrying with it.

With her lungs aching for air, she clawed her way up and burst out, gasping. Her hand struck something familiarly hard and she grasped at it as tightly as she could to pull herself back to the side of the wooden walkway. She couldn't see them.  
Dalia stared at the water in horror. _No! Where are you?!  
_Any hopes they had struck for the boat vanished when a cry was heard from further out to the water.  
_Allah help me!  
_Lian's cries cut off when a wave pushed her under. Dalia launched herself further out, she couldn't see a thing except for the outlines she was able to see, the storm seemed to be worsening second by second.

She reached out and managed to grasp her wrist, pulling Lian closer to her and pushing back to the beams. Her eyes were closed. "Come on!" Her words were cut short by the ache in her chest, she felt her heart beating far faster than it should've been. "You have to swim!"  
For a moment she swore she saw the silhouette of Eden by the water's edge as she tried to push Lian to the wood, but she was ripped from her grasp and another wave crashed overhead. Omar had gripped himself to much older wooden markers, but the current pushed him further away until he was torn from it. She tried to grab him, but he was pulled away before she could pull him closer.

"Dalia! Dalia! Come to me!" There was a frantic shout from the shore. She saw Jasmine reaching out as far as she could, her eyes wide with alarm. Dalia was only dimly aware of Jasmine's hand wrapping around her wrist and pulling her on to the stones that lined the sand.  
One of the guards loomed over her, "What in Allah are you doing?!"  
It was Hakim, sounding caught between confusion, concern, and annoyance. She couldn't make out his expression, but he was standing tense next to Jasmine.  
Another shape appeared beside him, she barely recognized her as one of the other maids, Liyla, she was seen by the water many times a day. "What is she doing in the water?!"

Liyla moved closer, seemingly making room for another two people before pulling Jasmine away. Dalia barely managed to keep her eyes open. "My kids, save.. my kids.."  
Sunil's face appeared beside Hakim, his eyes wide. "Are you telling me they're in the water?"  
Dalia nodded, far too breathless to speak. Liyla was already bounding closer to the water's edge. "If those children are in there, they're going to be in big trouble!"  
Her sister, Zara, was already racing after her. She could see Hakim drop the anger in the way he was standing and follow behind them, tracking them whichever direction they had gone.

Sunil crouched beside Dalia. She didn't know where Jasmine had gone. "They'll find them." He moved away from her, she knew he was still there, though his blurry silhouette was no longer visible to her.  
Her desire to push him away meant nothing to her right now.  
Dalia allowed her eyes to fall shut. _Allah help my children! This is my fault for listening. They have done nothing wrong, take me if you must, but please, let them be alive!"_

She lay still. Everything hurt. The ache in her lungs and her chest she could now confirm as both panic and pain, feeling the cold air rush around her and water stinging her eyes. Her eyes opened weakly when she heard footsteps approaching.  
Hakim was the person she could dimly make out. "Did you find them?" Her voice held hope despite the effort it took to speak.  
The guard seemed to be nodding. "Yes," he stuttered. "We found them."

Dalia forced herself to stand. "Where are they?!"  
Hakim turned, Sunil stayed where he was, she had only just managed to see him a few feet from the city gates.  
She wondered if she had truly seen Eden those few minutes ago, if she had, she was gone now.  
Wordlessly, Hakim led her down the shoreline, to a thick dune of sand that she couldn't quite see over with her blurred vision. She was limping now, she couldn't tell if the drips on the side of her head were blood or water. She didn't care.  
Hakim stopped and beckoned Dalia forward with a nod.

Liyla and Zara stood over two dark silhouettes, smaller than others she'd seen. Zara looked up, her eyes brimming with pity. "I'm so sorry.." she sighed, her sister took over the words. "We couldn't save them.."

A piercing scream split the air.  
Dalia wondered where the horrid noise was coming from until she realized it was coming from her.  
She shut her mouth sharply and took a step towards them. Her legs buckled and suddenly she was laying right beside them, desperately nudging both of them in turn. "Wake up little ones!" Her words were split by cracked sobs, soaked fabric being gripped in her fists. "We made it back! You're safe now!"  
The shapes fell limp despite her efforts, she couldn't see through her vision, but she knew that two pairs of eyes stayed closed.

Dalia pressed her hand against Lian's cold shoulder. "You promised you would never leave me!" She whispered.  
_"You promised you would keep me safe." _Lian's voice echoed inside her head, emotionless and unnervingly calm.

Hakim spoke up. "I don't know what happened to make you leave the palace, but we need to take this trouble back home."  
For a moment Zara and Liyla seemed to grieve with her before Liyla nodded. "Me and Zara will take one of them each. Dalia, follow Hakim."  
The sisters moved to lift the limp forms, Hakim waiting for only a moment before following behind them. The water hadn't calmed, it seemed to have gotten even worse.

For a second Dalia thought about throwing herself right back in before she turned away. Her feet were dragging, her legs were telling her to stop moving.  
She couldn't bring herself to care, she felt numb. _Allah. What did I do?_

* * *

Hakim had led her the quickest way to the palace's medical wing, though she had barely noticed until she had been approached by Adil.  
Another cry broke from her lips at the sight of Zara and Liyla going a different way, Hakim and Adil pulling her back. "No! Let me see my kids- I have to see my kids!"  
Her screams were met with nothing but stronger pulls.  
It took a while for the ordeal to truly catch up to her, her legs buckling again and her head suddenly aching as though she had been hit with a golden brick.  
Something was sticky on the side of her head, she could barely lift an arm to tell if it was blood.  
Adil gave her his balance as soon as he noticed her limp and set her down on one of the beds, the rest of them thankfully vacant. She couldn't feel if she was crying, it could have been tears and it could have been water.

Adil sighed. "I'm sorry, Dalia."  
She was tired of hearing it.  
He needed to let her leave.  
Her silent demands were treated with indifference, feeling him begin dabbing warm cloth to the side of her head and the cuts from what she guessed had to have been splintering wood on her arms. _Where's Jasmine?! _

He hadn't given her anything, but she again allowed her eyes to slip shut. She was exhausted, her heart was still racing and her lungs still felt strained. She knew any sleep would be dreamless, but she didn't feel it mattered. Adil wasn't protesting, so she allowed the darkness to close in around her, fading into the sound of violent waves.


	2. Chapter 2

_"No person can neglect a child in danger,_

_Even if that child is not their own."_

* * *

"Dalia! Dalia, wake up, you're late!" A squeaky voice gained her attention, opening her eyes, blurry at first, to look down at the source of the voice. _Omar? _To her sheer pain, she met eyes with Zara's nine-year-old brother, Batal, who stood staring up at her.  
She guessed he hadn't been allowed to know all of what had happened because he began circling around again when she didn't move. "You're late, Jasmine has a meeting with Orieon's Sultan!"

She shook her head slowly, trying to force away the pain still piercing her head. "The meeting is canceled." Her voice was hoarse, her throat felt dry.  
Batal was close to Adil and he seemed to notice, his jumps halting as he wandered off to a corner before returning a moment later with a cup of water. "You should drink. One of the guards told me to find you but I think you need to stay here longer."  
Dalia held back the urge to push him away.

Batal's eyes darted around the room. "Where are Lian and Omar?" He whispered. "Are they in your chambers?"  
Dalia felt the numbness creeping over her once more. "They drowned in the water." The words made her feel sick, Batal's eyes grew wide. Dalia let herself slip back to her original position. "Leave me alone."  
She thought she had successfully sent him away until he spoke again. Dalia sighed, turning back to look at him. The young boy gazed sincerely at her. "I.. I'm sorry about what happened. Eden saw what happened but I hoped you were all okay."

Dalia stood from the bed with a jolt. She had been right. "Eden was _watching?" _She felt rage swell inside her head until the sounds from outside drowned away, replaced with the sound of violently flowing water.

He seemed to be growing more nervous with every sharp move she made, but he nodded once. "Yes. I saw her following you, I guess she wanted to make sure you left. Hakim said you tried to save them, I think he was the first one to see what was happening."

"And yet she did _nothing_?" Dalia rasped. "They were helpless! How could she have watched them drown?!"  
Batal was beginning to back away. "She must've thought they were okay. She said the patrol was not far behind."

"They were not okay!" Dalia snarled, her fist slamming down on the wooden cabinet beside them.  
Batal jumped back, turning to look at her once with widened eyes before racing away.  
She felt a twinge of glee at the fact she had scared the child away. If her own children could no longer see her then no others should be able to take their place. _All of this was Eden's fault. If she had never left with us this never would have happened.  
_The feeling of ice was spreading through her faster than sand in a wind storm. If Eden escaped punishment with more lies then what justice would be served for her children?

She assumed Adil would be returning soon.  
She didn't wish to be stopped by him so she slipped over to the doors, blinking away the blur in her vision and scanning the large hallway before starting to make her way out of the wing.  
Wherever Eden was, was where she needed to be. Jasmine was bound to be with her now and she couldn't miss the chance to see Eden's lies be revealed. Every breath Eden took was a breath stolen from her children. If they were doomed for death, she deserved no respect from the kingdom she had so desperately asked to join. Eden deserved to be treated worse than a prisoner for all she'd caused.

* * *

"Why are you asking this? Eden couldn't have been there when this all happened. I would've noticed her missing." Sunil stepped forward, taking Eden's hand and nudging her slightly behind him.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes, she didn't pay any attention to the crowd of Hakim's guards or the watchful eyes of Zara and Liyla. Nor to her own husband standing to her left behind her. Her voice was calm and steady but Aladdin could see by her expression she intended to treat this as if Eden was on severe trial. "I want Eden to tell us herself."

He seemed to cower for merely a blink before he stopped Eden from replying again, tightening his grip on her hand and turning to glare subtly at the guards in the room. "This was all an accident. Eden has no need to be questioned."

"Are you forgetting this is _Dalia _who we are discussing?!" Jasmine snapped, her voice was husky with emotion, though the burning hatred in her eyes never moved from Eden. "If you were involved, Eden, you should know that you almost killed her. Not to mention the two children that have died!"  
Hakim scoffed from across the room, catching Jasmine's attention. She knew that Dalia and him had never seen eye to eye, but she was a sister to him. "She's broken the code. Again."

Eden flinched at his added word, pushing closer to Sunil's side and giving a low sigh. The air in the room was so thick that she couldn't catch her breath.  
Slowly, she nodded. "It's true."  
Jasmine only stared on, Eden guessed she wanted a clear confession, swallowing the air lodged in her throat. "I decided to stop her from leaving when I realized I should never have told her to. I got there too late and the water was too dangerous. The patrol was on their way so I thought she would be okay."

"Liar!" Zara spoke up. "Adil told us Dalia said she felt someone push her further away from them!" Liyla simply nodded sharply as her sister finished.

Aladdin seemed to step forward, though Sunil spoke again before the vizier could say anything. "Jasmine, there is no person more worthy of Agrabah's trust than Eden. If you send her away, you are no better than the mistake she has made."

Jasmine stepped down and stood in front of Eden, her voice soft with menace. "You cannot possibly expect my forgiveness." She stepped back and raised her head. Her gaze flickered for a moment as the doors swung softly closed, catching a glimpse of Dalia moving to stand with Hakim.  
She noted the dress Dalia was wearing, one that she hadn't seen her friend take notice of for years, almost completely dark red aside from the black pointed triangles on the shoulders.  
Her gaze moved away after another short moment and she turned back to Eden, her expression hardening again. "You have betrayed the code and our kingdom. You were not welcomed openly from the beginning and you have made nothing better."

Jasmine turned to lock eyes with Hakim for a moment, seeming to give him a silent command before her voice lowered further. "You may stay in the city."  
Even Rajah seemed to growl at the sentence, unsheathing his claws from where he lay behind Aladdin.  
Sunil gave a breath of relief before Jasmine continued. "Eden is no longer welcome in the palace. She is to be treated as the traitor she is," Eden gulped, her eyes wide with alarm. "If you do not leave now, rest assured you'll find yourself in the dungeons."

Eden glanced at everyone in the room, searching for some sympathy.  
Aladdin's expression was heavy with conflict; Jasmine had just turned away his friend's wife, he couldn't choose to defend both.  
The only sympathy she found was from Sunil still standing by her, glaring at Jasmine as fiercely as a tiger hunting prey. He glanced at Dalia once before locking his eyes on her, his hand still grasping hers. "I'll go with you."  
Eden shook her head swiftly, pushing him gently away from her. "No, You won't! I'll still see you every day as much as I can. I knew that meeting with you would come back with karma one day. It's just happening sooner than I thought."

She felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull. She didn't need to see to know it was Hakim. She looked back to Jasmine once and then to Dalia as Hakim led her out. She wanted to speak, to yell at the ruler who had just turned her away, though she resisted. It would only make things worse for her.

The tension in the room was thinning as the guards followed Hakim and others left. Jasmine smoothed her dress, taking a deep breath before turning to Aladdin.  
He lifted his head from where he was staring at the floor as she tapped his wrist. He gave a smile before placing a kiss on her cheek. "You did good."  
Jasmine seemed to relax at his reassurance, giving his hand a squeeze before turning away with a small smile. He knew who she would approach next.

* * *

Dalia felt both comfort and anger scratch at her heart as Jasmine came into her view. Jasmine was always lucky, she seemed to come out of everything unscathed. _If you had stayed the outcome would have been better!  
_Nevertheless, she stepped over and locked eyes with her, listening to the now typical apology a couple of times.  
Dalia felt her heart lift only slightly when Jasmine pulled her into a tight embrace, her tone still soft, "I should've been there with you, I should've stopped Eden from wandering, I should've stopped this-" her voice cracked. "I'm so sorry, Dalia."

It felt like even more was missing when Jasmine moved back.

Dalia cut her off before she could repeat it again, grasping her hands tightly and her heart lifting again for the smallest second at Jasmine returning the tightening grip.  
She tried to keep her own voice level when she locked eyes with her princess. "You don't have a thing to apologize for, there's no way I'd blame you for any of this."

Her heart dropped further when Hakim stepped back in through the doors, quickly being approached by the genie and Aladdin just as they swung shut. Sunil was likely asking where Eden had gone, Hakim likely wouldn't have been so civil otherwise.  
Jasmine watched them silently for a long moment.

Dalia debated whether it was a fair thing to ask, she didn't want Jasmine to feel as though she was at any fault.  
Just before Jasmine released her hand, Dalia turned back toward her princess. "I looked for you last night, where did you go?"  
Her voice was quiet, but Jasmine understood every word, lowering her head slightly. "I wanted to stay with you. Adil wouldn't allow it. He said you fell asleep so quickly last night he didn't get a chance to explain."

"I'm not the one that needed the help!" She snapped. The sudden change of her voice caused Jasmine to flinch. Dalia's gaze dropped and she stepped back before muttering an apology and turning to leave the room.  
She felt Jasmine's eyes on her but she refused to look back.  
Lian and Omar seemed to walk beside her at the corner of her cloudy vision, as though if she turned fast enough she'd be able to see them both. The sound of water rang in her ears again, followed by familiar cries and the two of them screaming for her help. _I can't help you, I'm sorry my darlings._

Maybe she could help. Not in the way she wished she could, but it could work.  
Eden may have been forbidden to enter the palace, though no person could stop her from finding wherever Eden had gone. She'd overheard Hakim talking about how she had mentioned leaving the city gates and going back to the water.  
Eden would be alone, unprotected by any people who were foolish enough to listen to her lies and blind enough to not see her problems from the very start.  
The time had whistled by through her make-believe trial, night was falling and the people in the city would be safely tucked away in their homes, unable to hear anything from the water's edge. She could easily beat her there with all the alleys and shortcuts she knew.

If she was to be punished for mistakes she had never made, then she would dedicate every beat of her heart to avenging the deaths of her children.  
The guards that had allowed her to leave with them in the first place.  
Eden for the cruel stunt she had pulled during the storm.  
And Sunil, for every lie and every drop of pain he had caused her from the moment she had met him to right this moment that he had allowed his own children to be killed by their own birth mother.  
_If Allah is to punish me for Eden's mistakes. Then the stars may burn for what they have done to me._

* * *

Dalia hid out of sight behind an old wreck of a boat, watching for any sign of movement at the beginning of the trail to the water.  
Within a few moments, a dark shadow appeared from just over the small dune of sand. Eden was here.  
Dalia gripped the side of the boat, ignoring the feel of damp rotting wood gathering under her nails.  
A squawk of a falcon came from overhead and she looked up for a moment to spot it before snapping her focus back to her children's killer and digging her nails in further to stop herself from making any noise. Eden would lose the breath she stole from Lian and Omar.

Dalia braced herself to step out to catch Eden's attention but stopped herself short of the open.  
What would confronting her here do?  
What justice would Lian and Omar get out of a simple ambush?  
She should follow her down to the water and tackle her there, exactly where she had taken everything from her.

She waited until Eden was further ahead to trail after her. The moonlight seemed to vanish, replaced with thick black shadows, and the sounds of the water replaced with the wails of her children, screaming for help that never came.  
Her heart raced at the caving darkness before the cries grew louder and her thoughts clouded with rage once again. _What justice was banishment if you weren't even welcome in the first place? _

Eden stopped at the water, her head bowed slightly.  
Dalia rolled her eyes at the sight, stepping out from where she was. Eden turned, seeming to choke on her own breath. "Dalia!" She seemed to know something was going to happen, cowering back a few steps and her voice shifting to that of fake pleas. "What-" she swallowed. "What are you doing out here so soon?"  
Dalia narrowed her eyes, savoring every hint of fear in Eden's voice. "Avenging the deaths of my children."

The former genie flinched visibly and cowered back further. Dalia's eyes were so unfocused that it almost looked like she wasn't looking at her, to anyone who caught only a momentary glance it would look as though she was simply daydreaming. Eden refused to move her own eyes away, something told her that if she did this encounter would come to an end seconds earlier than it really could. Her arms were held out ahead of her as she continued to inch backward. "I don't want to fight you."

Dalia smiled, a snarl in her voice, ignoring the blur that came with her eyes brimming with tears. "Of course not," Her expression shifted, everything except the tears running down her face was unreadable to the genie across from her. "You prefer watching children _drown_."  
She had nothing more to say, lunging forward sharply enough to make Eden trip to her knees. She caught a glimpse of Eden's eyes, glowing in the moonlight and wide with fear as she turned before Dalia wrapped her hands around her neck and pushed her roughly under the waves, feeling her pathetically clawing at her wrist and trying to yank on her left sleeve to release her force as she tried to move for a breath.

After a few long moments, Eden's struggles died down before stopping altogether.

Dalia stepped back and saw Omar standing above Eden's unmoving form, his head held high in triumph. _"We did it, mama! It's working now!"  
_She tried to step closer to him but the moment she did, he was no longer there. Dalia bit back another wave of tears piercing her eyes. _I swear to you, my darlings. Soon this will all be set right._

The falcon she had seen from earlier squawked again from overhead. She turned her gaze to the bird, it was circling the area now._  
_Dalia watched the bird for a few more seconds before turning away, the sound of the water had returned and was making soft, comforting sounds as it lapped against the shore. _What did I do to deserve a storm, when this monster receives such calm waves? _

Dalia stopped before she had stepped out of eye view, staring down at her hands and seeing traces of rotted wood still under her nails.  
Wordlessly, she wandered back over and allowed the water to rush over her hands, stinging the previous cuts and new scratches that traveled up her arms, stars were reflected in the water, almost completely still. She was sure Eden would rest forever in a place where there were no stars.

* * *

Adil rushed up to her as she entered the palace from the courtyard, his voice sounded urgent. "There you are! I've been asking everyone where you went and never thought you'd be out by the fountain. I need to check your head wound, it was deeper than I expected."

She hadn't noticed until now but her head was still thudding painfully at every heartbeat, she knew now that what she had been questioning had indeed been blood.  
Dalia hoped nobody had seen her leave earlier, the blood in her ears was rushing as Adil began rapidly scanning her arms. She hadn't expected the weak scratches from Eden to be so visible.  
For a moment Adil looked as though he was going to say something, but instead turned to silently ask her to follow him.

Dalia breathed a quiet sigh of relief.  
She heard Lian's voice from beside her, much happier than she had sounded before and a proud tone to her small voice. She understood.  
Eden was dead and her death had started to help free them, free them so they could escape from the replay of the storm.  
If justice was what it took, then she would continue serving it her own way.

Adil's steps were so light she was able to hear some guard's voices from down the hall, yelling about something by the water.  
She didn't need to hear the rest to know what.  
The pain this would cause Sunil would no doubt show him how she had felt the night before. The grief he would experience at the death of his lost lover would be only the start of making their situations even.  
He had lied to her, used her, and ran off with a girl who had happily abandoned her kingdom and in turn ruined returning to theirs.  
They deserved to pay for the pain they'd shamelessly caused her.


	3. Chapter 3

Sunil stood across from the vanity Dalia sat by, his expression was blank but no words could tell how much regret was flooding through him as he spoke, his voice was quiet. "I thought telling you was the right thing to do. Neither of us needed to keep up the act."

"Why did I ever trust you in the first place?" Dalia rasped, the shadows in the corner she was in seemed to be getting darker by the minute. "You, out of the whole kingdom."  
He knew what she meant. Jasmine had told him before they'd left that he was lucky, that Dalia had never been so stuck on any man even when she was a child. He felt his heart drop further at the knowledge that Jasmine had not noticed his spell. The princess had been too focused on her troubles with Jafar and affection for Aladdin to see it.

Sunil forced himself to meet her flinty gaze from where he stood. "If I hadn't done it then what would've happened to you when Jasmine accepted Prince Ali? And when Jafar rose to power?"

"I'd rather have _died_ than left with you!" Dalia screeched. Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with even more hatred than before. Talking about Jasmine had surely struck a nerve, shaking her head as if to try to clear her mind of stray thoughts. "That is no excuse! Why should I care if Jafar had taken Ali? Why should I care if Jafar had killed _me_?_"  
_A faraway look was growing in her eyes again, Sunil knew by that sign that no matter what he said, he had lost her, he was fighting a losing battle.

"If only I'd saved my sister." She whispered, her eyes refused to meet his, flickering between angry and heartbroken every few seconds. "She would have never done anything like this to me."  
Sunil's eyes widened, he knew nothing about what had happened, only that it had occurred long before Jasmine had met Aladdin in the marketplace. He opened his mouth to try and interrupt, but she ignored him.

"I took Eden's children to help both of you! I took them to keep them safe! And now Allah is punishing me! Oh, Allah is _clever_, Sunil."  
He could tell the comment was sarcasm, though the pain in her voice didn't leave, it wasn't a joke. It was as if she was cursing Allah directly for the suffering she had endured. "They gave me children and then punished me for _her_ mistakes."

"What is it worth now, being handmaid to the princess? _Nothing!_ It's all nothing." Her nails dug furiously into the wooden vanity as Jasmine was mentioned. Her eyes were glazed with something he didn't recognize at first, when he realized what it was he felt a fresh wave of guilt crash over him.  
He took a step back, shuddering in dismay. "I'll find Jasmine-"

"_Stay_... _Where_... _You_... _Are_." Each word was choked out separately as she stood, her eyes darkening into something much more sinister for a small moment before returning to their previous glassy glare. "I need to punish you, Sunil. Tell me a good punishment for a _liar_."

The word made him feel sick, he knew it was true, though the pure hatred in her voice had shocked him. Straining his voice, he forced himself to reply. "I don't know, Dalia." He didn't know if he even deserved to call her by her name anymore.  
He had ruined her.  
The girl he had seen by Jasmine's side the first time he had entered Agrabah, the girl who had caught his attention at the Harvest celebration, the girl who had such life in her eyes was not someone he could see. And it was his fault for doing what he had done.

"Well, I do." Her voice was lower, holding a strange tone of amusement. Her gaze locked with his. "I know the best punishment for you. I'll do _nothing. _I'll tell Jasmine to let you stay in the kingdom and the Palace, and for you to continue grieving Eden's death."  
She sighed, her voice revisiting that strange sarcastic tone he had heard before. "Oh, that should _please_ Allah. A liar living with royalty in a kingdom of liars." She rolled her eyes, disappointment crossing her tone before the earlier pain returned. "May they give you joy of it, _Genie_."

She knew he hated being called Genie now, and she acknowledged the fact, a stain of mockery and disgust on the word as she said it.

"Now. Get out of my sight!"  
The last words were spat out.  
Sunil backed away, letting the doors close as he entered the hallways. Turning to leave them, he sighed.  
It had been only a single day since Eden had been killed. Everyone had passed it as a rogue from the desert ambushing her when she'd left. He had no problem with the theory, though seeing her die had opened his eyes to see things from Dalia's recent perspective.  
He hadn't experienced such a feeling before. Grief was awful.

He stepped out into a wider hall when Aladdin stepped up to him, his eyes were curious at first. "What happened? Did you speak to her?" Aladdin had been anxious since their return, he'd said he hadn't known how to react to being treated like royalty at first and he certainly hadn't expected a set of deaths to come up. He was the only person who'd known he was going to try and speak with Dalia, Jasmine hadn't been told.  
Sunil nodded slowly, he was still trying to process the things he had seen from Dalia before he had left. "Yes.." he swallowed, trying to lift his voice up and faintly succeeding. "I spoke to her."

Aladdin shuffled his hands together for a moment before his spirit seemed to lift as the words registered. "Then it's all right?" He sounded as if he was forcing optimism to his voice, Sunil knew that he understood their talk didn't go well, everyone had noticed the changes to Dalia's behavior.  
Though he seemed to be allowing hope into his questions.  
Sunil sighed again. "Dalia's... Not well.." he couldn't even begin to explain what he had seen, he was thankful when Aladdin took over.

"I'll ask Jasmine if I should try and speak with her. If not, then Jasmine will have to go herself." With a nudge to the shoulder and a small smile, Aladdin turned and left.  
Sunil didn't really notice that he was alone in the hall now, it felt as though his regret was standing right there, ready to pounce and claw at his face like a tiger.  
He wanted to know how he had never noticed before. Looking back now, it had been as clear as day.  
Dalia had suffered much and lost much, though Jasmine always came first, Jasmine was always her top priority. Jasmine meant the world to her.  
And he wondered how he had ever had the pride to pull her away from that.

* * *

"Jasmine?" Aladdin pushed the door open with ease, stepping inside and meeting her bright eyes from across the room, she was writing a letter of some sort.  
He must have given her a look because she dropped the quill she was holding in favor of giving him a welcoming stare.  
Stepping over to the desk she was seated at, he heard Rajah purr from his spot before quieting back down.  
Aladdin took a deep breath. "Sunil spoke with Dalia."

A flash of anger crossed Jasmine's eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came, replaced with concern and silent indication for him to continue with what he was going to say. He let his hand rest on the side of her desk, his voice drowning quieter so as for anyone outside the door to not hear. "I was thinking I could try and speak to her? If not then I thought maybe you could try?"  
Jasmine sat silent for a moment, Aladdin could see her working through things in her head.  
After that moment, she shook her head. "I'll go. Just remember, I need to tell Batal he can start his training as a guard soon."  
He nodded, giving a playful bow. "As you wish, your majesty."  
Jasmine didn't acknowledge it aside from a quick glance at him before she left.

And just like that, he was alone again, left to flip through the recent events of the past years, they seemed like paradise compared to the drama of this past couple of days. He enjoyed being royalty, and he would never regret falling for Jasmine.  
Though it had put a lot of extra things on his mind.  
Eden's death was ruled as a copycat killer.  
He hadn't understood at first, then he had found out that before Jasmine's mother had been killed there had been a series of murders, each victim found with a small piece of red fabric next to their body.  
Eden had been found the same way, with a piece of torn red fabric near her hand. The killer had been nicknamed the_ Red Devil _before he had been caught and killed, the Queen had given her life in the process of ending his. It had led to the possibility coming up that it was not Eden who had caused Dalia's incident the nights before, but the one who had killed Eden. Jasmine didn't seem interested in proving Eden's possible innocence, so the theory was left open.  
If someone was recreating the Red Devil murders, then Jasmine's reign would surely soon be stained with blood.

* * *

Jasmine hesitated as she got to the door, debating whether to actually lift her hand to knock. There was a knot twisting in her throat.  
Would Dalia even want to see her?  
Pushing the doubts away, she knocked twice before pushing it open, letting her dress fall over her hands so she could grasp it as she stepped inside.  
Dalia looked over at her and seemed to brighten for a moment before the door opened behind her and Hakim grasped her arm. "Jasmine, we need you." Her eyes widened and her breath hitched in her throat as Hakim waited for her. He shook his head when she asked silently if it could wait.  
A pain stabbed through her heart as she was pulled away, locking eyes with Dalia once before the doors closed and she met Aladdin's eyes, Hakim standing beside her, waiting.  
She nodded to him once before following the guard.

Aladdin caught barely a glimpse of Dalia's false hope as he opened the door, keeping out of sight to watch Jasmine leave before stepping in and letting it close behind him. He moved closer before stopping just across from her, it must've been where Sunil had stood because she narrowed her eyes before disconnecting her gaze again. Aladdin swallowed, trying to keep his voice level. "I was wondering if there was anything I could do?"

To the chill it gave him from the pure sarcasm of it, Dalia laughed, her nails digging into the wood again and her head shaking in what seemed to be annoyance. "You just don't get it do you, _Prince_?"  
The last word held so much hate that he took a step back, he didn't dare try to interrupt her. He wanted to hear why she seemed so angry with him. "If you hadn't met Jasmine that day, you would've never come to the palace, Jafar would've never caught you, The Cave of Wonders would've never been accessed, you wouldn't have met the genie, Jafar would not have risen to power. _I_ would've _never_ met Sunil."

His eyes widened. "Dalia.." the word came far too quiet for it to interrupt.  
He saw something in her eyes that he had never spotted before, it seemed to flicker between being there and not.  
Dalia's hands stopped moving, her words being rasped out through tightly gritted teeth. "You _stole_ her from me."

Aladdin felt his heart drop, his legs felt as though they could no longer hold him up.  
How could he have never noticed?  
How could he have been so blind?  
He didn't know if that was the reason Sunil had used his magic on her the night they met and to make her leave with him. He didn't need to know.  
Dalia's voice stung, the pain and jealousy that mixed with each other sent a chill down his back. He struggled to find his voice. "I.. I'll leave you alone."  
She didn't answer him, so he backed away before he stumbled through the doors.

The words replayed in his mind over and over. He had never even considered the possibility, the time he had briefly met her when he'd returned Jasmine's bracelet, the harvest dance, the day Sunil had first left with her.  
He had never noticed anything.  
Was he too blinded by his new life to see it?

* * *

Dalia felt regret trapping the air in her lungs when she realized what she had just admitted to him.  
Aladdin, of all people, it had to be Jasmine's husband._  
_Surely he wasn't enough of a thief to tell Jasmine about what she had said.  
The thought of telling her princess that it had never faded from those years ago made her heart crack further.

The conversation replayed, over and over until Aladdin's voice drowned into the sound of rushing water. Her stomach turned.  
Even if she was imagining it the sound made her feel sick.

The only good thing to happen these torturous days had been the theory of Eden's death being a replacement Red Devil. It gave her an advantage for later plans.  
Lian and Omar's voices had been silent since Eden's death.  
She hoped that wherever they were, Eden's death had at the least got them out of the worst of the water.

Just thinking of Sunil made the familiar feeling of ice loom over her, the lies he had told coming forward to taunt her.  
He hadn't proven he was sorry, he had barely even said he was sorry at all.  
If he truly regretted what he'd done then he wouldn't have run off with Eden in the first place.  
He uses magic to make her leave with him, he pulls her away from Agrabah, and when the spell finally breaks just a few days before he tells her about his meetings with Eden- When he decides to force her to meet Eden- he tells her that Eden had given birth to two children that she wanted her to take, only to decide to leave with them.

She hadn't cared all that much when he'd told her that he had met with Eden a few times, she was hurt enough by the revelation that he had been using magic on her to make her fall for him.  
It was finding out he had had children with her that caused her anger.  
It was as if he was mocking her, laughing at the fact she could never have children of her own whilst running off to meet with a girl from another kingdom and then asking her to raise them.

Eden had not wanted children.  
It had been something she had wanted for years, but she had never allowed herself to think it would ever happen, it would be impossible anyway.  
She had felt no pity for Sunil or Eden but had failed to fight off sympathy for the two helpless children, they had done nothing to deserve Eden's mistreatment if she had to keep them or for her to carry out her plan to get rid of them to hide her breaking of the code.

Her own mother had been shunned by her relatives before all of them had died because of her relationship with a man from Skanland, only made worse when she was found out to be expecting. Hearing the stories of the way her mother's kingdoms had reacted to the news had developed into a blinding fear of pregnancy itself.  
Dalia's chest tightened at the thought. After the spell had broke, she'd found herself again relieved that it would be impossible for her anyway.

Perhaps it was the fact she herself was half kingdom that pulled her toward them, or maybe beyond her grief of being pulled away from the one person she had ever truly loved, she had still silently wished to be a mother. Whichever it was, she had loved them as if they were her own.

Dalia couldn't think of anything else good to come out of meeting Sunil.  
Even when he had a choice to refuse, he had granted Jafar's wishes and watched him torture Jasmine.  
The memory of the moment hurt, though the only thing that had truly caused her pain during Jafar's attack had been seeing him treat Jasmine as though she was nothing but a prize. Jafar aside, Sunil had lied to her either way.

A sharp jolt of pain knocked her away from her thoughts, it took her a moment to realize she had scratched at her own wrist instead of the wood she was leaning on. She knew it should've been far more painful than it felt, though she guessed that after everything that had happened such a scratch would seem like nothing.

It was bound to be dark outside now, part of her wished she had moved Eden's body to somewhere she wouldn't have been found, just so she could wither until it was proven her heart was black.

If she could turn back time, pick and choose what she wanted to keep and what she wished had never happened. To have never met Aladdin or Sunil, for Jafar to have never been the vizier, for Jasmine to have everything she had ever wanted, the throne, freedom, the happiness of her people, and Lian and Omar alive and living with both of them in the palace.

Something sharp stung her eyes and it took her a moment to realize she was crying again. Maybe she'd been silently crying since the storm.  
For a moment she swore she could hear Lian's voice, softer than it had been after Eden had died, _"Don't cry, mama."  
_She longed to listen, to cut her tears off without a second of hesitation, she could choke her tears back before, but it's impossible now, no matter how much she grits her teeth, clamps her eyes closed, holds her breath, or digs a nail deep into her wrist and hand. She can't stop crying.


End file.
